When I terminate conductors neutral conductors in the neutral bar of a plastic consumer unit I will push the conductor through the bar and ensure that it goes past the bar so I can see it on the back side of the bar clearly out of the bar itself, indeed I do not concern myself if the end of the conductor actually touches the plastic case of the consumer unit being more concerned that I have firmly secured the conductor and not just clipped the end of it.

Therefore I am rough as a bears !"£$.

Comments please.

Andy

(Edited out a funny picture of the back end of a polar bear since I noticed it had that A word at the top of the page)

I think you look much better Andy. and your terminations are fine too.

Edited: 09 September 2012 at 07:27 PM by Zs

Thanks for the compliments, however this could be the start of a long series of posts.

Any more thoughts?

Any one know what I've been reading?

Andy

I am not an electrician but I like to see the end of the conductor just peaking out of the bar but not much longer. I also like to see 1mm and 1.5mm folded over.

I do not like (big time) conductors twisted together under terminations and even more CPCs fully twisted together for their exposed length and then one piece of sleeving slid over the top. This must have been taught at one time as I see it a lot especially by old time sparks. I was taught to twist together ring conductors before termination them in the back of a sockets with my "pliers combination 8" in the Post Office training school. I strongly disagree with this now as it makes testing difficult with the risk of breaking off conductor ends ( Regulation 341.1). I was also taught the insulation goes up to the termination and not under it and no copper showing, and then "terminate and tug".

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John Peckham

http://www.astutetechnicalservices.co.uk/

Just done a termination of a 24 way board wired in YY from factory machines, with bootlace ferrules. Does look quite smart....

I try to keep the length of the conductors about 8mm when terminating into a bar. Even length, none excessive.

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Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine....

Every man has to know his limitations- Dirty Harry

"1mm and 1.5mm folded over." I do that, however despite this attention to detail overall I may be creating a fire risk, so on a inspection you should possibly be coding my work as it may be a danger.

I will do a better job of completing my installations now that my errors have been pointed out.

Andy

Boot lace ferrules fitted correctly would stop me from being so silly.

Andy

If you read through my original post it is not hard to deduce what makes me rough as a bears !"£$.

It is the effect and consequences that is of importance.

Andy

Hi Andy, I'm interested to know what you have been reading, will you tell us? I'm thinking it's some kind of good practice guide - at a guess perhaps it's suggesting a method of termination that will be suitable working practice for both metal and plastic enclosures? (though I can't see that there can be a problem caused if the conductor does touch the plastic casing as quite often there is an integrated lip behind the terminals that will prevent the conductors going through very far.)

It is the no less than the London Fire Brigade and the Electrical safety Council who have produced a report following an investigation of plastic consumer unit enclosures and have pointed out the dangers of allowing terminated neutral conductors touching the plastic enclosure.

This makes serious reading and EVERYONE needs to have a look at it, I picked up a paper copy of "Switched on" the ESC magazine at a wholesalers, however it can be read here issue 25 Summer 2012 page 18.

Apparently some plastic consumer unit enclosures will burn like a old washing up bowl on Bonfire Night (been there, set fire to one and couldn't put it out with water, so had to bury it!!). When it came to the needle flame testing on the plastic enclosures two tests out of five had to be aborted after four minutes as the labs extraction system could not cope with the smoke.

Andy

Hi Andy, as long as you don't consider that your neutrals don't need to be as tight as the lives as they don't carry as much current you should be OK. Consumer units aren't what they used to be! It's funny that a lot of the older wylex boards after 30 - 50 years service with their dual screw terminals are replaced as they are considered to be a fire risk by some, and replaced with a £X0 plastic piece of 17th edition dual rcd fully loaded ****

Must admit that that I'm not entirely innocent of the above offence myself, but the industry and the regs is influenced first by the manufacturers in cohorts with the scheme/advice providers then the customers who want the latest products at the cheapest price

Although it doesn't have dual terminals, I have re-homed a 25? year old hager board as my shed/office supply and the build quality is like nothing available these days.

The NICEIC recommend that the wooden backed Wylex 3036 boards should all be replaced by modern palstic CUs.
Something about fire risk?

Although I feel a bit ashamed to say so, I have ripped out plenty of perfectly servicable old wylex boards for what is essentially nothing other than cosmetic reasons, as far as I can recall I have never had to do so because they have been on fire, or even slightly charred, though I have changed a fair few modern melted and burnt plastic ones!

--one of the most common cause of call-outs from customers we get
is "lost phase"
we had one on friday, yellow (sorry black) phase missing, lid off 3 phase
100amp dis board revealed 35sqmm had dropped down.
not surprised, 1/4 inch inside a single silly little terminal, how do they ever
stay in?
yes double terminal is the only answer-----like the old wylex

Regards

The use of cage clamp terminals is indeed one of the problems listed in the report, however just as we are considering buying a torque screw driver for ensuring terminations are tighten correctly at least one manufacturer is promoting screw less MCBs and main switches with push fit cable terminations, so it could become fool proof or there will be even more problems.

Andy

Edited: 09 September 2012 at 09:03 PM by sparkingchip

Anyway Zs, I'm rough as a bears CHIN, so you can put your photo back.

Edited: 09 September 2012 at 08:27 PM by sparkingchip

Can't fault UKPN's service to a recent fault at my neighbours - he has 3 phase to his workshop and said to me his compressor won't start - I identiffied that there was a supply problem with a phase, they were there within hours, 3 vehicles and 9 operatives to sort out one of their dodgy overhead joints - I hope they used double screwed connections this time!

So the million dollar question is "What two makes of consumer unit burst into flames under test"?

Andy

MK and BG.
Please send me the million dollars in used notes of small denomonations prefferably in a brown envelope, maybe a couple of, no make that a suitcase.

Don't both of those have folding down access lids of solid material the same as the enclosure, whereas in the article photo the lid of translucent material, so that possibly rules out at least one of those, as we only have a photo of one sample in flames.

I quizzed Controlgear Direct on this several years ago and was assured theirs are constructed from self extinguishing plastic as I was replacing a old wooden framed fuse board that the local fire brigade said was a risk as it was in the linen cupboard of small hotel and wanted to be sure that the new consumer unit was less of a risk than the old one.

I have several units I have removed for various reasons, I'm tempted to put the blow lamp on a few and see what happens!

Andy